The Secret to a Healthy Thanksgiving Abilene, TX

Despite what you may be thinking, this is not a food blog! Rather, it’s a health and beauty blog dedicated to bringing out your best in mind and body, especially during the holidays. Here are 3 ideas for achieving your most delightful (and healthful) Thanksgiving yet.

Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Once a year, we sit down to a meal that symbolizes our thankfulness, but we’d be wise to feel thankful all year long. Grateful people are happier and healthier. In one study, people who wrote about all the things for which they were grateful were compared to people who wrote about the sources of their aggravation. The people who wrote about their gratitude reported feeling more optimistic and positive about their lives. They also reported exercising more often and having fewer visits to the doctor. While it’s impossible to determine cause and effect, there appears to be an undeniable link between gratitude and wellness.

Go ahead and nap! There’s a reason we call it a power nap. Napping is a healthy habit, if you do it right. Short naps (10 to 20 minutes) are clinically shown to improve energy, lower stress and help you focus. So don’t feel guilty about nodding off in front of the game with a full belly of turkey. It’s the healthy thing to do!

Enjoy the conversation. Thanksgiving is about so much more than a meal. You’re not just catching up around the dinner table. According to psychologists, you’re also fostering confidence and a sense of resilience in yourself and your family members. Family gatherings are about knowing that you are loved and that people care about what’s going on in your life, which establishes a strong foundation of security that carries over into everyday life.